Putin Orders Ukraine Ceasefire

Russian President Vladimir Putin has instructed his Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu to impose a ceasefire in Ukraine ahead of Orthodox Christmas, which is celebrated on January 7.

The Kremlin said in a statement on Thursday that Russian forces must hold fire from "12.00 on January 6, 2023 to 24.00 on January 7, 2023."

It comes after the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, earlier on Thursday issued an appeal on the Church's website calling for a "Christmas truce."

"Taking into account the appeal of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill, I instruct the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation to introduce a ceasefire regime along the entire line of contact of the parties in Ukraine from 12.00 on January 6, 2023 to 24.00 on January 7, 2023," Putin said in the order.

"Proceeding from the fact that a large number of citizens professing Orthodoxy live in the areas of hostilities, we call on the Ukrainian side to declare a ceasefire and allow them to attend services on Christmas Eve, as well as on Christmas Day."

Since Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, the Russian Orthodox Church's influence in the country has declined, with some in Ukraine reportedly choosing to celebrate Christmas on December 25, according to the Gregorian calendar, as opposed to the Julian calendar.

Kirill, 76, who has justified Putin's decision to invade Ukraine in February on spiritual and ideological grounds, had appealed for a truce "so that Orthodox people can attend services on Christmas Eve and on the day of the Nativity of Christ."

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said earlier that Russia had not received a proposal for a truce from Ukrainian authorities.

The patriarch has, since the beginning of the war, justified the conflict by giving speeches about Russia as a "peace-loving power" that does not engage in "military adventures."

In June, he said Russia was being "attacked" all over the world because of feelings of jealousy, envy and indignation. Kirill said he believed this was happening because Russia is "different."

The leader of the Russian Orthodox Church has also issued multiple statements in favor of the war. In September, after Putin announced a partial mobilization in Russia, Kirill urged Russians not to be afraid of death, as thousands began to flee the country to neighboring nations in order to avoid being conscripted.

"Go bravely to fulfill your military duty. And remember that if you lay down your life for your country, you will be with God in his kingdom, glory and eternal life," he told a sermon at the Zachatyevsky Monastery in Moscow.

Putin's ceasefire order comes more than 10 months into the war that he started, and days after he claimed that Ukraine is refusing to hold peace talks. He told a Russian state TV outlet that he is "prepared to negotiate some acceptable outcomes with all the participants of this process."

Update 01/05/23, 11:20 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information and quotes from the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill.

Newsweek reached out to Ukraine's foreign ministry for comment.

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